WHISPER THE GREAT HORNED OWL

(Bubo Virginianus)

 

The Great Horned Owl on display was found dead on the trail in March 2025, likely from an altercation with another bird. It is a young male, approximately one year old. We held a Hootenannny in April 2026 when the owl was installed in the Batiquitos Lagoon Nature Center and had a naming contest.

 

 

Some Cool Owl Facts

 

The Great Horned Owl is San Diego County’s most widespread owl. It is primarily a nocturnal, perch and pounce hunter, It has great night vision due to the many rods in its eyes. The atlantooccipital joint enables the owl to swivel its head more than 180 degrees in any direction. Its hearing is acute, assisted by facial disc feathers that direct sound waves to its ears. The strong talons allow it to sever the spinal column of prey larger than itself. They start to nest in late January through early April. Great Horned Owls are fierce predators that can take large prey, including raptors such as Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons, and other owls. They also eat much smaller items such as rodents, frogs, and scorpions. If you hear an agitated group of cawing American Crows, they may be mobbing a Great Horned Owl. Crows may gather from near and far and harass the owl for hours. The crows have good reason, because the Great Horned Owl is their most dangerous predator. The oldest Great Horned Owl on record was at least 28 years old when it was found in Ohio in 2005

 

 

Why Is It Called a Silent Predator?

 

  1. Serrated leading edges: The front edge of their wing feathers has tiny comb-like serrations. These break up incoming air, reducing turbulence and the"whooshing" sound you'd normally hear.
  2. Velvety feather surface: Their feathers have a soft, almost fuzzy texture that absorbs sound rather than reflecting it. Think of it like built-in acoustic dampening.
  3. Fringed trailing edges: The back edges of their feathers are ragged and flexible, which helps dissipate air currents smoothly instead of creating noise
  4. Large wings, slow flight: Great horned owls have broad wings relative to their body size, allowing them to fly slowly and glide. Slower wingbeats mean less noise overall.

 

All of this combines to make their flight nearly silent-an enormous advantage when they're hunting prey, hence the name “WHISPER”